> At a Glance
> – Carrie Coon returns to Broadway after 12 years in Bug revival
> – Previews began Dec. 17, 2025; opens Jan. 8 at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
> – Play transfers from acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre production
> – Why it matters: First look photos reveal intense psychological thriller about conspiracy and isolation
Carrie Coon is back on Broadway in a role that promises to be as unsettling as it is compelling, starring in the revival of Tracy Letts’ psychological thriller Bug.
The Production
The Manhattan Theatre Club presentation marks Coon’s first Broadway appearance since her Tony-nominated performance in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2012. The production, directed by David Cromer, transferred from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where it originally opened in 2020 before COVID shutdowns.
The ensemble reunites the original cast including Namir Smallwood as Peter, the paranoid soldier whose conspiracy theories consume a rundown Oklahoma motel room.
First Look Photos
Matthew Murphy’s exclusive production photos capture Coon as Agnes, a lonely waitress whose reality fractures after meeting Smallwood’s mysterious drifter. The images show the actress mid-descent into psychological horror as the characters become increasingly isolated from reason.
The supporting cast features:
- Randall Arney
- Jennifer Engstrom
- Steve Key
Play History & Creators
Bug premiered in London in 1996 before Off-Broadway in 2004, earning recognition as one of Letts’ most disturbing works. The 2006 film adaptation starred Michael Shannon, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr.
Tracy Letts, married to Coon since 2013, praised the production’s intensity:
> “I love this production of Bug. It’s scary and funny and intimate, and it features five great stage actors working at the peak of their powers.”
MTC Artistic Director Lynne Meadow emphasized the play’s relevance:
> “Tracy’s voice is one of the most daring and original in the American theatre, and this piece shines a light on the ways that fear, isolation, and conspiracy can infiltrate the human psyche.”
Key Takeaways
- Carrie Coon returns to Broadway after 12-year absence
- Bug revival continues at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre with tickets on sale now
- Production explores themes of conspiracy, isolation and psychological breakdown
- Playwright Tracy Letts calls it “a kind of sorcery” that only live theatre achieves
The psychological thriller runs through the winter season, offering audiences an intimate, unsettling theatrical experience.
